The University of California, Davis announced today it put its police chief on leave following the widely criticized pepper spray incident involving student Occupy protesters.
“It has become clear to me that this is a necessary step toward restoring trust on our campus,” the university’s chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi said in a statement in regards to the temp removal of police chief Annette Spicuzza. The school also placed two officers on administrative leave after Friday’s incident pending an internal investigation, which is currently under way.
A viral video posted online shows a riot gear-clad officer misting pepper spray into the eyes of peaceful protesters sitting on the ground with their arms linked. The cop did it so casually, as if watering the lawn or spraying for bugs.
Outrage over the situation inspired a snarky new “casually pepper spraying cop” meme online. It takes Photoshopped images of the pepper spray-happy Lt. John Pike over major artwork or iconic images from pop culture. Take a gander and tell us which ones are you favorite.
Sarah Muller